Preview

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

Zero db: And Other Stories

By: Madison Smartt Bell
Narrated by: Brandon Massey
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Madison Smartt Bell’s celebrated debut story collection about the daily struggles of life in America.

The characters in this captivating collection of stories are linked by imprisonment in desperate circumstances and the currents of history that carry them along. Praised for its clarity of voice and vision, Zero db and Other Stories begins with a grim tour of the Deep South that includes a visit to a Tennessee slaughter yard, an unflinching look at the underbelly of the Northeast, and even a trip back in time to the Great Plains of the 19th century and the confluence of events leading up to the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Engrossing and brimming with insight, Bell’s early stories are remarkable for their ambition of scope and the author’s deft rendering of human diversity.

©1987 Madison Smartt Bell (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Editorial reviews

Brandon Massey’s rendition of these compelling short stories has an air of gravitas that highlights the tremendous power of award-winning American writer Madison Smartt Bell’s masterful prose. His understated approach to each performance highlights the clarity of the writing and allows each story to unfurl at the perfect pace. Whether the setting is the Deep South, the Northeast, or the Great Plains during the 19th century, Bell paints a bleak portrait of society, pulling no punches when it comes to exposing the desperation and darkness that permeates daily life.

What listeners say about Zero db: And Other Stories

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not really sure…

…what to make of this one. Pleasantly written, somewhat “un-involvedly“ read, this is basically just a, hm, pastiche of impressions by the not really very sympathetic first person narrator. And that’s all I can say.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!